Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Board has remanded the case for further evidentiary development, including obtaining relevant treatment records from Kaiser Medical. The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a lumbar spine disability is pending and will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The Veteran's low back strain has been rated at 20 percent since September 21, 2006. The disability does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as it does not result in ankylosis or limitation of motion to less than 30 degrees.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claim for service connection, including obtaining a more comprehensive medical opinion and reviewing all pertinent evidence.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by her representative prior to the Board issuing a decision.

The Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining inpatient treatment records from the USAF Hospital in Yokota, Japan, and any outstanding post-service treatment records. The VA examiner will provide an opinion on whether these disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, hypertension, a back disorder, leiomyosarcoma, and diabetes mellitus, were denied. The Board found no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions, nor any herbicide exposure that could relate the current disabilities to service.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and arranging for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected PTSD and to determine whether any diagnosed cervical spine disorder is related to his military service.

The Veteran's initial ratings for his service-connected conditions have been denied, but he was granted a higher rating for flexor tenosynovitis of the right long finger with scar.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, but denied them on the merits due to lack of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine and right knee disabilities are being remanded to allow for additional examinations and consideration of the evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical evidence and develop his claims for service connection of various musculoskeletal disorders, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The case will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including VA examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected lumbar spine, right hip, and left hip disabilities. Additionally, a VA opinion is needed to determine if he is unemployable due to these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and headaches were not incurred or aggravated by service, nor are they related to a service-connected disability. The claims for service connection were denied.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and entitlement to DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318, finding that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's death to his service-connected disabilities or medication.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's low back disorder is related to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hip disorder and mid and low back disorder, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current disability of either his low back or right leg, and thus service connection cannot be established for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his satisfaction with the July 2012 rating decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back disorder, skin disorder, and hypertension are not related to service or any incident of service. The claims for these conditions have been denied.